The port of Barcelona, today divided into Port Vell and Port Nou (Old Port and New Port), was refurbished for the Olympic Games using the most up to date innovations. Next to Columbus Monument is the modern pedestrian wooden footbridge that leads to the Maremagnum, a shopping and leisure center and restoration work that enjoys a privileged position over the old harbor (Port Vell) and which includes the Barcelona Aquarium, the IMAX Cinema, and many other major attractions. By following the Seafront Promenade, a kind of extended balcony over the beaches of Barcelona, you will find the Olympic Village and the Olympic Port in an area that also has a wide offering of bars and restaurants. The two tallest buildings in Barcelona are in this area. 

Barri Gotic

The Barri Gotic is a maze of mediaeval interconnecting dark streets linking with squares, full of 14th and 15th century palaces, little shops, tapas bars and cafes. All sorts of architectural styles left their mark on this part of the old city center. The Cathedral, the church of Santa Maria del Mar (masterpiece of Catalan Gothic; 14th century), the Picasso Museum, the autonomous government palace (“Generalitat de Catalunya”; 15th century) and City Hall (“Ajuntament”; 14th century) and Montcada street, are only some of the many monumental buildings and other interesting places in this area. 

Tibidabo

At 542 m (1778 ft), Tibidabo is the highest hill that forms the backdrop to Barcelona. It’s a great place for views over the city, sea and hinterland. It hosts an amusement park (Parc d’Atraccions) and the telecommunications tower “Torre de Collserola” with a glass elevator that goes 115 m (126 yd) up to a visitors’ observation area, totalling 657 m over the sea level.

Bull fighting and flamenco

Bullfighting and flamenco dancing are undoubtedly the most traditional of Spanish Fiestas, and intimately linked with the country’s history, art and culture. 

While religious bull cults go back to Iberians, it was Greek and Roman influences that converted bullfighting into a spectacle. The contests were fully developed by the Moors from North Africa who overran Andalucia in A.D. 711. During the Middle Ages it was an amusement for the aristocracy to “torear” on horseback. In the 18th century this tradition was more or less abandoned and the poorer population invented bullfighting on foot. Francisco Romero was a key figure in laying down the rules for the new sport. This Fiesta could not exist without the toro bravo, a species of bull of an ancient race that is only conserved in Spain. Even though bullfighting is not a favorite in Catalonia, many “corridas” are on offer in the city in the summer.

Flamenco songs and dances are also a genuine southern folk art, with Gypsy and indigenous Andalusian origins. The roots of flamenco can be traced back for centuries. It was born from the expression of a persecuted people, most notably, the Gypsies, Muslims, and Jews of Andalucia, which were ordered to convert to Catholicism by the Catholic Spanish King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella at the end of the 15th century. Flamenco is strongly represented in Barcelona. The Rumba Catalana is a variation of flamenco that was born in the first half of the XX century in Barcelona with the Andalusian immigration in the city.

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